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Table of Contents

Tips & Techniques4

Microplane Rasps8

Learn everything you need to know to put this handy tool to work on your projects.

The Microplane rasps shown on page 8 are available from a number of woodworking retailers. You can also order any of the Microplane products directly from the manufacturer.

5 Favorite Router Accessories10

See how a few inexpensive add-ons can make your router more productive.

The router accessories shown on page 10 are a great way to get more out of your router. The guide bushings (59031) and edge guide (34420) both came from Rockler. We purchased the router trammel at the Woodsmith Store. And the CMT router collet extension is available from Amazon. Router mats are commonly available from a number of woodworking mail order sources.

Handy Clamping Tricks12

We'll show you a few, simple techniques that make assemblies go easier and turn out better.

Shop-Made Inlay Banding14

The technique is surprisingly straightforward and the end result is pretty impressive.

Online Extras

  • Shop Made Inlay Banding
    The article in Woodsmith No. 186 covers the basics of designing and assembling shop-made banding. Those same techniques can also be used for a variety of other patterns. In this online extra, I’ll show you three more banding design options.

Inlaid Picture Frame18

Here's a chance to put an interesting, new technique - shop-made inlay - to practical use. It's a quick project that looks fantastic.

  • Page 19: Left Illustration
    Left drawing in the How-To Box at the bottom of page 19: The 1/8 dimension should be 1/4. The 1/16 dimension should be 1/8.

The only hardware you"ll need for the picture frame on page 18 are some brass turnbuttons (27912) and a sawtooth hanger (12097), both available from Rockler.

The frame is made of maple with walnut edging. The banding is holly and ebony. We applied a coat of General Finishes' Java stain to the edging to even out the color. Then after wiping on acoat of oil finish, the frame was sprayed with lacquer.

Craftsman-Style Wall Mirror20

This wall mirror has everything you expect from a Craftsman-style project. It features traditional joinery, simple details, and a practical design.

  • Page 22: Location of shelf
    Clarification: The location dimension for the shelf on the Wall Mirror is not specified. It should measure 4 3/4" from the bottom edge of the shelf to the bottom edge of the stiles. The art on page 21 does indicate the location of the countersunk holes to drill, and the shelf is centered from side to side.
  • Page 22: Sidebar
    The sidebar refers readers to page 31 to learn how to make cove moldings on the table saw, but that information is really on page 30.
  • Page 23: Main illustration
    The specific locations for the half laps for the muntins (part K) are not detailed in the drawing. They should be located to create four equally spaced openings.

The wall mirror on page 20 requires just a few hardware items. The brass turnbuttons (27912) can be purchased from Rockler. The mounting bracket (HP-6) came from Hangman Products. To finish the wall mirror, we applied a coat of Varathane Early American stain followed by two coats of lacquer.

Woven-Seat Bench24

What could be better than building a project that offers a comfortable place to rest? This attractive, sturdy bench definitely fills the bill.

  • Page 28: Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram
    The short seat rail (E) should be 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 14. The part is shown with the correct dimensions in the drawing on page 26.

Aside from a few woodscrews, the only hardware you"ll need to build the bench shown on page 24 is some webbing and a box of cut tacks for nailing it down. We ordered the 2"-wide cotton webbing (W-C-01 2000) from Jontay Distributing. The cut tacks were purchased at a local hardware store.

To finish the bench, we wiped on a coat of clear oil finish (General Finishes' Seal-a-Cell) to give the maple a warmer tone. Then we sprayed on a couple of coats of clear lacquer as a topcoat.

Shop Notebook30

Cherry Sideboard32

The look is impressive. But there's a lot more here. A quality woodworking experience and loads of storage round out the appeal.

  • Page 41: Materials, Supplies and Cutting Diagram
    Cutting Diagram: The fourth board down in the left column shows an additional workpiece at the bottom of the board that should not be there. All parts are accounted for in the materials list.

The cherry sideboard featured on page 32 requires a fair amount of hardware, but all of it came from just two sources. Rockler supplied the shelf standards (34017), shelf clips (33852), shelf pins (22765), no-mortise hinges (28696), leg levelers (31210), and magnetic touch latches (28431). The knobs (02W33.22), the drawer slides (02K40.17), and the figure-eight fasteners (13K01.50) were purchased from Lee Valley.

The two sectioned columns used on the front of the sideboard were cut from a single column purchased from Classic Designs by Matthew Burak (507-CXM36.CH). When you order the column, you'll need to specify that you want it split into two halves. (There's an additional splitting fee involved for this.)

We stained the sideboard with a mixture of three parts ZAR Cherry Stain and one part WoodKote Jel'd Cherry Stain.Then after spraying on a sealer coat of lacquer, we added a dark glaze to highlight the details, followed by two more coats of lacquer.

Sizing Parts on the Table Saw42

The first step to a top-notch project is accurately sized parts. Here’s how to get it done.

The Versatile Disk Sander44

When it comes to shaping parts quickly, easily, and accurately, this power tool tops them all.

Online Extras

  • Disc Sander Circle Jig
    Creating perfect circles on a disk sander is a snap with this simple jig. Basically, the jig consist of four parts: an MDF base, a cleat, an adjustable hardwood runner, and a pivot pin made from a dowel.

Brushing on Varnish46

The best way to apply a durable, attractive varnish finish is the traditional way.

Sectioned Columns48

This traditional design feature is a great way to add another level of sophistication to your work.

Q & A50

Final Details52